Ultimate XMen: RISING SUN
by Dino Pollard
Summary: Takes place after DANGEROUS GAMES. A story centered on Wolverine as he infiltrates the Clan Yashida and works to bring them down from the inside!
1. Part I: Family Ties

* * *

Issue #22 

"RISING SUN"  
Part I: Family Ties 

_by Dino Pollard_

* * *

  


My name is Logan. I'm a special agent of SHIELD, and field commander of a government-sponsored mutant task force called the X-Men. I'm a mutant myself, with enhanced senses, a healing factor, plus bones and claws that are laced with adamantium—which basically makes them unbreakable. Right now, I'm on a mission for SHIELD, so I'm away from the X-Men. Step one of the mission is complete—infiltrate the Clan Yashida crime syndicate. Now time for step two—take them down from within. That's gonna be a bit more difficult.

First off, Shingen wants to concentrate on getting rid of people within his organization who want to ursup his position. I'm his new hitman. The way I see it, that's a good thing. If I take out people within his organization, that means I'm removing potential successors as well. The first target? Shingen's nephew. Shingen warned me about this guy. He's a street tough, apparently, mean little prick with a real bad temper. I like 'im already. Shingen told me he does a lot of street racing, so that's the first place t' look.

I start my search down in the Bronx. There's a street race going on here tonight, an' there's more souped-up cars, motorheads, an' half-naked women than in that shitty Vin Diesel movie. I'm guessin' I came t' the right place. I'm dressed in a pair of jeans, leather work boots, a wifebeater, an' a beat-up old leather jacket. There are a couple Asian guys here showin' off their imports, but I know none of them are the guy I'm lookin' for. I hear the rumble of an engine from behind me, an' I turn t' see a car pull up. A fairly tall Japanese man with spiked, bleech-blonde hair gets out of the car. He's wearin' a pair of sunglasses with red lenses. Reminds me a little of Summers, except this kid's got a tint in the lens that's far lighter than Cyke's. I look down at the picture Shingen gave me and crumble it up into a ball, then toss it over my shoulder as I approach the man. He's dressed in leather pants, leather driving gloves with the tips cut off, and he wears a leather jacket over his bare chest. He's also wearing a bunch of gold necklaces an' shit. When I come up to him, he's got a small gathering already there. I push my way through and grab his shoulder.

"Shiro Yoshida," I say.

"What do you want?" he asks.

"I'm an associate of your uncle's."

"Tell my uncle to fuck off," he says and turns away from me. I spin him around and lift him up by the collar of his jacket, then I slam him against the hood of his car.

"How'd ya like t' deliver that message yourself, bub?"

I hear the sound of guns cocking. Looks like his fanclub happens to be composed of bodyguards. It'd be child's play f'r me to take care of all of them. T' prove that I mean business, I keep Shiro pressed against the car.

"Kill him," he says. One of his men takes the cue and pulls the trigger, shooting me in my head. The bullet obviously can't get through my skull, and the wound heals up in a matter of seconds. I turn and look at the man.

"Alright, you're first," I say. With a thought, three razor-sharp adamantium claws pop out from between the knuckles of my left hand. I swing it across and cut the man's throat. He's still alive... barely. An' he's in a helluva lot of pain. I retract my claws and look back at Yoshida.

"Very impressive..." he says. He grabs my arm, an' I can feel the temperature begin to rise. Without warnin, my jacket catches fire. I pull away from Shiro and pull it off, then I turn to look at him. He removes his glasses, an' I can see fire burning in his eyes.

"Looks like my uncle sent a mutant," he says. "And, from your reaction, I assume he didn't tell you that I'm one as well."

Yeah, y' could say he neglected t' mention it.

The claws extend from both hands, an' the fan club backs away. They're giving Shiro an' me room t' settle this between us. He keeps his eyes focused on me, an' it's almost like his eyes are made out of flames. I see sweat beginning to appear on his forehead, somethin' I assume must be a natural reaction t' his body generating that kind of heat.

"Give a message to my uncle," says Shiro. "Tell him that his days as head of the Clan Yashida are numbered."

He extends a hand towards me, an' a jetstream of fire appears before his hand. I leap away, an' it just barely singes my leg as I do so.

"On second thought, maybe I'll just spell it out with your ashes."

"Bub, you an' what army?"

I leap at him, my claws ready to do some damage. He extends his hands again, and flames rage all around me. The fire forces me back, and burns most of the skin from my body. Parts of my skeleton are beginning to show, an' my face is almost entirely gone now. Shiro keeps up the heat for a few more minutes, then stops and turns away.

"Honestly uncle, can't you do better than that?" he asks. He puts his sunglasses back on and I can hear him boasting over his victory before he tells his men t' dispose of me. Right now, I can't really move, an' two of his cronies grab me by both ends and toss me into a dumpster in an alley. 

It takes me about thirty minutes t' finally find the strength to pull myself out of the dumpster. It'll take another hour or so before my burns heal completely.

* * *

Shiro Yoshida barges through the doors of the mansion which he is currently occupying. He storms through the halls with only one thought on his mind. Servants simply avoid him, they know better than to disturb the master when he is in such a state. He continues through the house, until he opens the basement door, and quickly descends the staircase.

"LEYU!" he exclaims.

He hears cries of pain, a man's voice, and he slows his pace down as he explores the basement. He can see a bright light, and walks closer towards it. In this room, he sees a man chained against the wall, and he sees a smaller Japanese woman dressed in a skimpy leather outfit standing before the man. She pokes the man with her fingers, and with each poke, the man cries out in pain, and a burn mark is left there. She turns when she hears footsteps and a look of happiness spreads across her face.

"Shiro!" she exclaims, and runs over to him. She practically jumps on him and wraps her arms around his neck. She presses her lips to his hungrily and bites his bottom lip once she breaks the kiss.

"What are you doing?" asks Shiro, motioning to the man.

"I ordered pizza," she replies. She points to a Papa John's box lying off to the side, untouched. "I was just having some fun..."

"Uncle Shingen sent another assassin after me today," he says.

"Harada?"

"No," replies Shiro. "Someone new. He was an American."

"Past-tense?"

Shiro simply smiles at his sister. 

"I fried him."

She giggles in response and kisses him on the cheek. 

"These hitmen are starting to get annoying," says Shiro. "Think it's time we retaliate?"

"Ooooh, are we gonna do some cooking?"

"Not quite," says Shiro. "I think we should prove ourselves to Uncle by hiring someone to take what means the most to him."

"You mean his little princess?" asks Leyu.

"Exactly," replies Shiro. "Question is, who should we hire to kill Mariko?"

* * *

I limp into Shingen's office, an' practically collapse right in front of him.

"Hello Logan," he says. "Did you get a haircut? It looks shorter."

"Nah," I reply. "Just hasn't grown back to it's full length."

"I take it the job is done, then."

"Why didn't you tell me Shiro was a mutant?" I ask.

"I didn't feel it was necessary," replies Shingen.

"Bullshit," I say. "I wanna know what I'm up against."

"What do you mean, 'up against?' Is he still alive?"

"Yeah, he's still alive," I say. "Turned me into a fucking crispy critter."

"You're just going to have to go back."

"Oh, I will. That was my favorite jacket he torched. Now it's personal as well as business."

"Good," says Shingen. "Then the next time I see you, it will be once Shiro has been killed."

"Not so fast," I say. "I wanna know exactly what this kid's deal is, understand?"

Of course," says Shingen. "I'll get you the necessary information."

"Good," I say. I stand an' bow, then head towards the door. It opens before I get to it, and a young Japanese woman enters. Once I see her, I feel like I've been hit by a ton o' bricks.

"Excuse me," she says. "I didn't realize you have company."

"No, it's okay," replies Shingen. "He was just leaving. This is Logan, a new associate of mine. Logan, my daughter, Mariko."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Logan," she says, an' offers me her hand. I'm careful when I take it in my own, tryin' my best to be gentle with my calloused skin.

"Likewise, Miss Yashida," I say. "An' it's just Logan."

"Mariko," she replies. 

"Mariko..." I repeat. I stand there f'r a few more minutes in silence, just shaking her hand an' staring into her eyes. Lord, she's gotta be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

"If you'll excuse us, Logan, I'd like to speak with my daughter in private," says Shingen. His words snap me outta my trance, an' I drop Mariko's hand without hesitation. I look over to him an' nod, then I look back at her and smile. She smiles back, and I move past her to get to the door. I close the door behind me an' brace myself against the wall to stop from falling. I feel like I just lost my kneecaps, because for a moment, I can barely stand on my own. I take a deep breath, regain my composure, and walk off. I can't remember the last time a woman had that effect on me. In fact, I don't think a woman's _ever _had that effect on me. 

* * *

"I came all the way from Japan just to kill one insignificant girl?" the young woman who wore a leather catsuit asks in her native Japanese. She sits in a chair before a desk. On the other side of the desk sits Shiro Yoshida, with Leyu standing by his side, an arm draped across his shoulders.

"Precisely," replies Shiro. "We called you here, because you're supposedly one of the best assassins in Japan. The Yashida compound is well-guarded, and what I want to know is, can you get past their defenses?"

"Don't insult me," she says. "What's the price?"

"Name one," says Shiro.

The assassin considers Shiro's words, and thinks silently to herself. Finally, she says, "Five million."

"You've gotta be joking," says Leyu.

"You want me to kill the daughter of the most influential crimelord in Japan," says the assassin. "I think five million is extremely generous."

"Then we can find someone else," says Leyu.

The assassin stands from her seat.

"I suppose you can, then."

"Leyu..." says Shiro.

"Go on, get out!" demands Leyu.

"Leyu, shut up," Shiro calmly says. "Five million is acceptable."

The assassin looks at Shiro and grins. Her grin turns into a scowl when her eyes meet Leyu's, however. 

"Make it quick and clean," says Shiro.

"I always do," says the assassin. "I'll show myself out."

She turns from the siblings and walks out the door. Once she's gone, Leyu turns her anger on her brother.

"I can't believe you just did that!" she exclaims in English. "Five million?! Five million?! That's robbery!"

"I know what I'm doing," replies Shiro. "We need someone with a high level of skill to complete this task. And make no mistake about it, Kwannon is one of the most-skilled assassins on Earth. If she can't kill Mariko, then no one can."

"This is a mistake, Shiro..." mutters Leyu.

"All a matter of opinion," says Shiro. "This is how the game is played, Leyu. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

"Oh, I can stand the heat just fine, dear brother," says Leyu with a smirk. "The question is... can you?"

Shiro feels the temperature in the room slowly begin to rise as Leyu begins to unbutton her shirt. She removes the garmet and tosses it to the side. She moves closer to him and presses her bare chest to his face. Shiro grins and runs his hand down to the back of her skirt and unzips it. Everything was falling into place. Soon, Mariko would be dead, then Shingen, and then the Clan Yashida would be his.


	2. Part II: Assassination Game

* * *

Issue #23 

"RISING SUN"  
Part II: Assassination Game 

_by Dino Pollard_

* * *

Night falls over the Yashida compound. The moon is full, and the air is cool. The stars shine brightly in the night sky. This is exactly the type of setting that the kunoichi known as Kwannon loved. She is lithe and precise in her movements, she has been watching the Yashida compound for the past week. She has observed the position of each guard, and knows when each of them is relieved of duty. It's those moments of weakness in Yashida's security that Kwannon exploits, and it allows her to get past the guards. Sensors are another matter, harder to fake, but Kwannon does the best she can. She's not worried about them too much, if the sensors do detect her, they'll only catch a fleeting glimpse. And by the time any reinforcements arrive, Kwannon's mission would be accomplished. She stands over the bed of Mariko Yashida and looks down at the sleeping beauty. She lifts her katana blade up and prepares to bring it down on the neck of Shingen Yashida's daughter. Then, the scene of butane strikes her nostrils and she looks to the side to see a flame flickering in the darkness. The flame vanishes, and it's replaced with the dim glow of a lit cigar. The lights turn on, and Kwannon sees the man smoking the cigar. He's dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt, and his jet-black hair is shaped in an odd style, almost resembling that of wolf ears. In one hand, he holds the cigar. His free hand is clenched in a fist, and three razor-sharp claws protrude from between his knuckles. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, darlin'," he says. "Might not be healthy if ya know what I mean."

Kwannon's legs send her catapulting into the air. She soars over Mariko's bed, and brings her katana blade down towards Logan's face. He brings up his arm to block it, and Kwannon expects the blade to go through the bone. Instead, the sword is blocked somehow.

"Adamantium skeleton, babe," he says. He grabs her wrist and slams her against the wall. Then, he puts out the cigar on her shoulder. Kwannon stops herself from crying out in pain and instead, reaches down for the dagger strapped to her leg. She unsheathes it and attempts to jam it into Wolverine's side, but his free hand grabs her wrist. He tugs on her arm hard, and dislocates it from her shoulder. This time, Kwannon lets out a small moan of pain. Logan flips her over and her back hits the floor, hard. The sound wakes up Mariko with a start, who lets out a gasp when she sees Wolverine and Kwannon fighting. Logan lifts up his clawed hand and jams it down on Kwannon's neck, but the center claw retracts before it can pierce her skin. The outer two claws are pinned to the ground, barely touching her neck. The center claw slowly comes forward and rests right before it touches her neck.

"Now listen an' listen good," he says. "You tell your boss that Mariko's off-limits, ya hear?"

"He'll kill me..." she mutters.

"Worry about what I'm gonna do to you."

Kwannon offers no response to Logan's comment. 

"Do we understand each other?" he asks. 

"Yes," she replies.

"Good," says Logan. He retracts his claws and gets off of Kwannon. She stands slowly and Logan moves aside to give her access to the window. Kwannon takes the opportunity and runs for it, leaping out. Logan turns towards Mariko once Kwannon makes her exit.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Are you insane?!"

"I'm sorry?"

"You let her get away," says Mariko. "She tried to kill me. What's my father paying you for?"

"I let her get away because I know who sent her," replies Logan.

"And who would that be?"

"Your cousin, Shiro," replies Logan. 

"How do you know?" asks Mariko.

"Because I could detect a faint trace of his scent on her," replies Logan. "This sends a message to Shiro that he didn't kill me like he probably thinks he did. He'll be watching his back now, running scared."

The door opens and Shingen is standing there in a robe with the Silver Samurai behind him.

"What's going on in here?!" demands Shingen.

"Your daughter just got a visit from one of Shiro's," replies Logan. "I took care of it."

"An assassin?" asks Shingen. 

"A kunoichi," replies Logan. "Tough bitch, but I took care of her."

"Where's the body?"

"I let her go t' send a message t' yer nephew."

"What?!" exclaims Kenuichio. "That's..."

"A very wise strategy," says Shingen, finishing Kenuichio's sentence. The Silver Samurai looks at his master with shock in his eyes.

"You can't be serious, my lord," says Harada. "He let an assassin slip through his grasp when he should have killed her!"

"Think, Kenuichio," says Shingen. "She'll return to Shiro and tell him what happened here. Then, Shiro will think twice before he sends another assassin."

Shingen approaches Logan and solemnly bows his head. Kenuichio and Mariko watch in surprise—they have never seen Shingen Yashida bow his head to any man. He always thought of it as a sign of weakness to show respect for another, thus, he never would.

"You've saved my daughter's life, my friend," says Shingen. "I am in your debt."

"Not necessary," says Logan. "Just doin' my job."

"I want you to keep a close eye on Mariko," says Shingen. "You will now serve as her personal bodyguard, is that understood?"

"Yup," replies Logan.

"I also want you to continue the search for my nephew," says Shingen. "He must be dealt with."

"He will be," says Logan. 

* * *

Shiro Yoshida sits behind his desk smoking a cigarette, with Leyu straddling his lap and kissing his neck. Sitting in front of the desk is Kwannon, who tries to ignore the display before her—as well as the fact that these two are brother and sister. Instead, she keeps her eyes focused on the desk.

"Say that again," says Shiro.

"Mariko is still alive," replies Kwannon.

Leyu glares at Kwannon out of the corner of her eye, and then stands from Shiro's lap. She disappears under the desk and Kwannon flinches in disgust.

"You failed, then," says Shiro.

"It wasn't my fault, she had a bodyguard," says Kwannon.

"Your skill should be above Harada's."

"Not the Silver Samurai, another man," says Kwannon. "He was an American."

"...describe him," says Shiro.

"He had claws," says Kwannon. "And he said something about an adamantium skeleton. I think he was a mutant."

"Impossible," says Shiro. "I killed him myself."

"He got better," replies Kwannon.

Shiro focuses his eyes on Kwannon and the flames within his eyes seem to grow brighter. Beads of sweat begin to form on the female ninja's forehead, and she wipes it away. Still, more forms. She adjusts her collar, feeling the heat beginning to intensify. Without warning, she suddenly bursts into flames. Shiro sits back as a wave of pleasure overcomes him. Leyu stands from the ground and looks at the flaming Kwannon. She smiles.

"I never liked her, anyway."

"This new assassin Uncle Shingen has hired is going to be tough to beat," says Shiro. "We need to fight fire with fire."

"Ooooh, does that mean I get to go after him?" she asks, trying to restrain her jubilation.

"No," says Shiro with a grin. He reaches for a rolodex on his desk and flips to a name written on one of the cards. Leyu views it and smiles.

"Perfect," she says.

* * *

"Jean...?"

The door to the infirmary at the Xavier University opens, and the form of Alison Blaire stands in the doorway. She flips on the lightswitch to see Jean Grey lying motionless on the ground beside Professor Xavier's bed. Ali cries out and runs to her teammate's side, desperately feeling around for a pulse or some form of life.

"She did it..."

Ali looks up at the source of the voice and sees Professor Xavier with his eyes open, slowly trying to sit up in his bed. 

"Professor...?" she asks.

"I'm fine, Alison," he replies. 

"But... how?"

"It was Jean," says Xavier. "She went into my mind and brought me back. Unfortunately, due to her low level of experience with her abilities, she seems to have simply contracted the same condition."

"Can you bring her back?" asks Ali.

"Unfortunately no," replies Xavier. "At least not yet. I'm still too weak from my own ordeal. Is Colonel Fury or Logan around?"

"Fury's beneath with the rest of the team," says Ali. "You missed a lot."

"A simple scan of your memories shows me that much," says Xavier. "Can you please have Colonel Fury come up here? I'd like to have a word with him."

"Sure thing," says Ali as she stands.

"Oh, and Alison? Could you bring me my chair, please?"

"Yeah, I'll bring it right up," says Ali as she turns to leave the room. Once the door closes, Xavier looks down at the comatose form of the mutant known as Psyche.

**_"Foolish girl," _**he says with glowing red eyes. **_"You should have known better than to try and take on the Shadow King. Not even Xavier was powerful enough to contain me, what makes you think you were?"_**

* * *

Her slender hand examines the small flower. She traces her fingers along the red petals, and brings the rose to her face so she can inhale its scent. Without even looking at her companion, she addresses him with a question.

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?" asks Logan. 

"The work you do for my dad," replies Mariko. "I just can't seem to understand why someone would willingly kill for a living."

"Well, when you're good at something, you might as well put it to use," says Logan.

"Aren't you good at anything else?" she asks, turning to face him.

"Not really sure," he replies.

"Why don't you find out, then?"

"It's... complicated," replies Logan. "I live in a world of grays, it's not all black and white."

"Even so..." says Mariko. "I just never understood how you could enjoy killing."

"I don't," he replies.

"Then why do it?"

Logan thinks of this for a moment, then, with a smile, offers his reply.

"Because I'm the best there is at what I do. And what I do isn't very nice."

Mariko smiles at this, and then tries to supress a small giggle. It slips out, regardless. The sound of her laughter is enough to make Logan's smile grow a little wider.

"You're different," she says.

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are," she insists. "My father has assigned other men to guard me in the past. And although I felt safe with them, I wasn't comfortable. I couldn't talk to any of them. They were all too afraid of my father to say anything but one-word responses. But you... you're different. You actually talk to me."

"You got friends, don't you?" asks Logan.

"No," she replies. "I was never given the chance. I never attended school, I was always taught by private tutors."

"Don't you have anyone you can talk to?" he asks.

She looks up at him and gently smiles.

"I do now."

The two exit the flower shop and walk along the sidewalk. The rush of the lunch hour is upon them, and various people on their breaks brush past in a hurried attempt to grab a bite to eat before they have to head back to the daily grind. Logan looks up at the afternoon sun, and then turns to Mariko.

"How about we grab some food?"

"Yeah... I'd like that," replies Mariko.

"What do you feel like having?" he asks.

"Anything but Japanese food," she replies with a grin.

"I know a great gyro joint down the street," he says.

"Gyro?"

"You've never had it?" asks Logan. Mariko slowly shakes her head, as if the terminology confuses her. He simply smiles. "It's Greek food, you'll love it."

The pair walk past a man in a trench coat and fedora hat reading a newspaper. He spies them out of the corner of his eye. Once he spots them, he drops the paper and begins to follow them.

Logan and Mariko wait at the red light for the walk signal. Before the light changes, the man in the trench coat throws his shoulder into Logan's back. The impact sends the undercover agent flying into the busy street.

"LOGAN!" shouts Mariko.

Logan gets to his feet just as a car hits him. He gets back up, however, and simply brushes off the impact. He turns to face the man in the coat and with a SNIKT his claws extend.

"Bub, you just made your last mistake," he says.

"Let us see," replies the man in a Russian accent. 

Logan leaps at the man, who spins around, and a tentacle of some sort extends from the sleeve of his coat and wraps itself around Logan's leg. Using the coil, the man whips Logan around, and throws him against the side of the building. The man removes his fedora to reveal his albino skin, blonde hair, and red eyes. He looks at Mariko and smiles as his coils begin to wrap around her body.

"Your cousin sends his regards, Miss Yashida."


	3. Part III: Sunset

* * *

Issue #24 

"RISING SUN"  
Part III: Sunset 

_by Dino Pollard_

* * *

Mariko Yashida tries to struggle, yet her captor's coils tighten around her. She would scream if not for the cold, metal tentacle covering her mouth. Her captor, an albino man with blonde hair, red eyes, and a Russian accent simply smiles as the coils tighten even more. He is a trained assassin, and she is his target. He cries out in pain without warning, and the coils around Mariko loosen. She falls to the ground, and he turns to find Logan standing there with his claws extended.

He slashes at the albino again, who brings his coils up to defend himself. Logan notices that they are attached to his wrists. He brings his claws across in an attempt to remove the tentacles, yet they don't cut. The metal they're made from is just as strong as his claws. As Wolverine moves forward, he finds his speed is somewhat sluggish. He's not operating at his full strength for some reason. He feels like he's getting... weaker. One of the albino's tentacles wraps around Logan's arm, and he starts to weaken more. The albino smiles.

"That's the Death Spore Virus infecting your system," he says. "You are not the only mutant assassin."

The albino uses his coils to slam Logan into the ground and bury his face in the pavement. He releases the defeated mutant and turns back to Mariko. He finds that she's run off from the battlefield.

"Shit," he mutters. He turns to his fallen opponent. "You see what you've done? Now I have to go find her..."

The albino man flies forward by some unseen force. Logan then feels graceful hands help him to his feet. His face is bruised and bleeding, but healing quickly. He looks at his savior and is surprised to see Mariko staring back at him.

"You okay?" she asks.

He looks at her, and then at the albino lying on the ground.

"How did you...?"

"I'm a huge Bruce Lee fan," she replies.

"Guess so..." he says. 

The coils from the albino seperate them once more, slamming Logan to the side. This time, he braces himself for the impact, and when he gets up, he stares at the albino with rage in his face.

"Okay..." says Logan. "Before I was just slightly peeved. But now, I am fucking pissed!"

He leaps forward at the albino, avoiding the coils, deflecting them with his claws. He comes in close, and slashes the albino's leg. He stabs him in the shoulder, and then performs a roundhouse kick to his face. The albino flies into the building, and Logan retracts two of the claws on his fist, and jams the third into the albino's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

"Who are you?" asks Logan.

"Go to hell," he replies.

Logan twists the claw, and the albino cries in pain.

"R—Rossovich..." he replies. "Arkady Rossovich."

"What business does a Ruskie have working for Yoshida?" asks Logan.

"Clan Yashida refused to cooperate with the Russian mob, so Yoshida made a deal with them," replies Arkady. "Says if we help him take over the Clan, he'll help open up Asian markets for us."

"Good boy," says Logan. He pulls the claw from Arkady's shoulder, who relishes in loss of the pain. Then, Logan slits his throat with the claw. He turns to face Mariko.

"You didn't want him to deliver a message to Shiro?" asks Mariko.

"No need," replies Logan. "He'll get this message."

* * *

"Dead?" says Shiro into the phone. "What do you mean he's dead? I don't want excuses, how the fuck did he die? You promised me Rossovich was the best, and now... his throat was slit?"

"Problems, Shi?" asks his sister, Leyu. Shiro closes the cell phone and slides it back into the pocket of his jeans.

"Uncle's new hitman just killed the top assassin in the Russian mob," replies Shiro.

"How?" asks Leyu.

"He survived after I burnt him to a crisp," replies Shiro. "He's a mutant, and one who can heal pretty fast."

"It's like he's got nine lives..." mutters Leyu. "Let me take him!"

"No," replies Shiro. "Too risky."

Leyu pouts.

"Pleeeeeeeeease?"

"I said no!" exclaims Shiro. 

"You never let me have any fun!" pouts Leyu. Shiro crosses the gap that seperates them, and smacks her hard across the face. A burn mark is left on her cheek.

"You're my sister and I love you," he says. "But _never _question my authority! Understand?"

Leyu slowly nods.

"Get out," he orders.

"What?" she asks.

"You heard me, get out!" he exclaims, and the heat begins to rise in the room. Leyu knows better than to tempt her brother's anger, and leaves the room.

* * *

While he sleeps, Kurt Darkholme dreams.

He dreams of a world where his skin isn't jet-black, but caucasian. He dreams of a world where he has normal-sized ears, with no fangs, no glowing eyes, and five fingers and five toes on each hand and foot as opposed to three. He dreams of a world where he is human, and not a demon.

Kurt Darkholme likes it in his dreams. They are a way to escape his reality. In reality, he is a freak of nature, feared and hated because of a single gene. But in his dreams, he's loved. In his dreams, he attends a regular high school, with regular teenagers. He's normal, with a normal life, normal friends, and a normal family. His mother isn't dead or a terrorist, she's a housewife.

_"Not a bad life you've built for yourself, Nightcrawler."_

"Who's there?" asks Kurt.

_"Who else?"_

Kurt feels a tap on his shoulder and instantly spins around.

"Jean?" he asks, surprised to see the X-Men's resident telepath facing him. "I don't usually dream of you with clothes on. Gah, I mean—!"

_"I'm flattered, Kurt, but that's not what I'm worried about," _replies Jean. _"Listen, we have a problem. It's the Professor."_

"He's out of his coma."

_"No, he's not. At least... not completely. Kurt, the Professor's being controlled by someone, and he's been controlled since Day One. I need you to tell the others."_

"I see..." says Kurt. "I see what this is, and don't worry, I get the message. No more White Castle before bed."

_"Kurt, this isn't a joke," _says Jean. _"I'm not some figment of your imagination, I'm communicating with you the only way I can. The Professor's been taken over by someone who calls himself the Shadow King, and he's trapped me inside my own mind. I can't take control of my body, but I can warn you."_

"...are you _sure _this isn't because of the White Castle?"

_"Just talk to the others once you get up," _says Jean. _"Trust me."_

* * *

Kurt Darkholme awakes with a start. He rubs his eyes and then shakes his head. 

"Wild dream..." he mutters. He looks at his nightstand and sees an empty White Castle box. He gets out of bed, and tosses the box in the garbage can.

"Definitely no more White Castle before bed..." he mutters. In a flash of light, he vanishes from his room, and reappears in the cafeteria, sitting in a chair next to Hank McCoy and Monet St. Croix.

"Morning," mutters Hank, sipping his coffee.

"Hey," says Kurt. "Y'know... I had the strangest dream last night..."

"Let me hazard a guess," says Monet. "Jean came to you in your sleep."

"How'd you...?"

"We both had the same dream," replies Hank.

"What do we do about it?" asks Kurt.

"It explains why Jean is currently comatose," replies Monet. "But for now, there's nothing we can do. We have to lay low and see what we can find out."

* * *

The door to Shiro Yoshida's mansion opens. The young, Asian man enters and removes his sunglasses. 

"Leyu!" he exclaims.

No response comes. He sees the basement door open and rolls his eyes.

"Christ Leyu... not again..."

He descends the stairs into the basement. He sees someone hanging from the chains, with their back to him. 

"Leyu?" he asks. Still no response. He approaches the hanging body, and turns it around. It's a woman, he can tell that much from the figure. But she has a leather bondage mask covering her face.

"Let's see who you've got," he says. He unzips the mask and sees his sister staring back at him. He touches her face and feels that it's cold. He pulls the mask off completely and feels for a pulse, but finds nothing.

"Yer one sick puppy, y'know that, right?"

Shiro pivots on his heel and sees Logan walking towards him with a cigar in his mouth. Shiro notices that Logan keeps one hand behind his back, and the other hand has his claws extended, stained red.

"Not only is she your sister, but she's fifteen," he says. He looks at Leyu's body, then back to Shiro. "Sorry, was."

"ANIMAL!" exclaims Shiro, as flames engulf his body. Logan pulls his hand out from behind his back and reveals a fire extinguisher. He turns it on Shiro.

"You fuck your underage sister, and _I'm _the animal?" asks Logan while he empties the extinguisher on the Asian mutant. He then takes the empty cannister and slams it against Shiro's head. Shiro pulls back, and glares at Logan, his eyes glowing brightly. The liquid covering his body prevents him from directing the flames through his skin, however.

"I will melt the skin from your bones..." mutters Shiro.

"Sorry," says Logan. "Been there, done that."

He slams his down on Shiro's head. 

"By the way, Mariko says hi."

With his fist remaining on Shiro's skull, a SNIKT is heard, and the battle is over. 

* * *

A knock is heard on the door to Shingen's study. The crimelord stands facing the window. Without even turning, he says, "enter."

The door opens, and Logan walks in. He sits in the chair before Shingen's desk. Slowly, Shingen turns to face him.

"Well?" he asks.

"Shiro's no longer a problem," replies Logan.

"That's good," says Shingen. "I'm glad you're here, Logan. There's something I've been meaning to ask you about."

"What's that?" asks Logan.

Shingen picks up a small file folder from his desk and hands it to Logan.

"Mind telling me the story behind these pictures?"

Logan opens the folder and looks through the still images. They're photos of him during the battle with Magneto in Times Square with the other X-Men. He continues looking through them and sees photos of him at the nightclub where he fought Sabretooth. And photos from the battle with the Brotherhood.

"Very interesting, I'd say," says Shingen. "Tell me... how is it an assassin ends up fighting mutant terrorists?"

Logan looks up at Shingen in surprise, he finds he is at a loss for words.

"I'm not blind, Logan," says Shingen. "Those mutants that fought Magneto in Times Square aren't independent superheroes. With technology like that plane they came from, they either have very deep pockets or government funding. And the American government has been on my trail for quite some time. Or, let me guess... you have a twin brother or a clone, and it wasn't really you in those photos."

"I'm not gonna try and come up with any stupid excuses," says Logan. "Yeah, it was me."

"You're a spy," says Shingen.

"Bingo."

"Then, let's get this overwith," says Shingen. He takes a sword off of a rack and when he turns to face Logan, he thrusts forward with the blade. Logan evades his attack, and rushes forward, slamming his palm into Shingen's abdomen. Logan then kicks the sword from Shingen's grasp. It falls to the ground. Logan rolls to it, grabs it by the hilt, and when he comes up, he swings it around and takes off Shingen's head. 

"A spy..."

Logan turns to see Mariko Yashida standing in the doorway, and the sword falls from his hand.. She slowly enters, her mouth gaping open at the scene she just witnessed.

"You're a spy..."

"Yeah," says Logan.

"It was all an act, then?" asks Mariko. "Your loyalty to the Clan."

"Yeah, it was."

"What about me?" she asks.

"What are you talking about?"

"I felt something between us..." she says. "Was that... was that also an act?"

Logan considers his words carefully. He looks down at the ground and sees Shingen's head. The grisly image is better than looking at Mariko.

"You can't even look me in the eye, can you?"

Logan's eyes slowly drift upwards to see hers. He stares into them for a few moments, then slowly, carefully, drops to his knees.

"Was it an act?"

Logan stares at her directly in the eyes when he says, "no."

She walks past him and picks up the discarded weapon. She holds it by the hilt and shows it to Logan. He can see his reflection in the cold steel of the blade.

"This is the Honour Sword of the Clan Yashida," she says. "My father told me that our ancestors used it to fight for their nobility. To gain vengeance."

She takes the sword and tosses it to the side.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"I have to stop deluding myself," she replies. "The Clan Yashida is not honorable. The Clan was never honorable. That sword means nothing. It's just a piece of metal that they used to kill people with."

"Mariko..." says Logan. "I love you."

She smiles at his comment.

"Don't say it if you don't mean it, Logan."

"I wouldn't do that," says Logan. "I'm serious."

"...you have to leave, now," she says. "Before my father's men come. They'll try to track you down, they'll want to kill you."

"Come with me."

"I can't," she says. "I'm the head of the Clan Yashida now. I have to try and make amends for everything my family's done over the decades."

Logan walks up to her and places his hand on her shoulder. She wraps her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his. Logan is surprised at first, but then returns her kiss and wraps his arms around her slender waist. She breaks the kiss and stares into his eyes. She places her gentle hand on his cheek.

"Go, now. Before it's too late."

Logan reluctantly releases her and walks towards the window. He stares at her for a moment, and she smiles at him. He smashes the window, and exits through it. Mariko Yashida watches him go and once he is out of sight, she brushes a tear from her eye.


End file.
